Noroi no Uchiha
by Ookami Tsubasawa
Summary: Her breath hitched as she heard a creak behind her, he was in front of her, looking behind her shoulder, his face contorted in a silent scream. Slowly, her heart close to cardiac arrest, she began to turn around... SasuHina
1. プロローグ

A/N: I watched The Grudge yesterday (English not original Japanese sadly) and like a bullet through the brain, this idea was born. And like my idea's tend to do, they nag at me (especially when I'm listening to music) and I simply have to write them. Let me know what you think yes? :)

* * *

Inspired by **Ju On: The Grudge**

* * *

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **_rage_**,

A _**curse**_ is born

The curse gathers in that place of _**death**_

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its _**fury**_.

* * *

_**Noroi no Uchiha**_

* * *

"I really appreciate you doing this Hinata-san," Shizune said, sighing softly. "It just doesn't feel right sending him alone back to an empty house, especially after what happened there."

"Hai Shizune-san, really, it's… it's no problem," Hinata said softly, looking down at her toes. To be honest, she really didn't want to look after her patient in his home where a murder had been committed a month or so before. It frightened her, though her conscience won out in the end, seeing Shizune's anxious, tired face pushed all her own concerns aside.

"Thanks again Hinata," Shizune said her hand resting on the smaller girls, giving it a gentle squeeze. Hinata nodded and moved back, turning and heading towards the patients room. _How exactly was she going to tell him?_

On autopilot she walked into his room and took a seat beside his bed. He didn't look round at her, or give any sign of acknowledging her presence.

"Uchiha-san?" She waited a minute, and when she got no answer she spoke again. "Uchiha-san?"

"Leave me be." His voice was harsh, like a barrier of ice thickening by the second, struggling to keep anyone - _everyone_ out. He had almost attacked the head nurse, who had diagnosed him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He had snapped when she said it might be best if he spent time in a psychiatric ward.

He was sickly looking; his skin was a sickly pasty white, his eyes surrounded by dark rings. He didn't seem to be getting better; he seemed to just be existing emptily. At first he was silent, occasionally lashing out at nursing staff. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep… They had to sedate him, pump food and fluid into him.

Hinata was the doctor assigned to him. Sakura offered to take over, but her patient would lose his temper so easily around her. Hinata stated that Sakura was more experienced than she, and Sasuke instead snapped at her. The head of the hospital was considering having him transferred.

"The hospital is prepared to discharge you," she said quietly, though she knew he could hear her. "But only on the condition…"

His head snapped up, eyes untrusting, almost wild.

"What condition?" he demanded, and only hard practiced patience and discipline kept her from jumping or fainting like her younger self would have.

"They want me to stay with you, at least… until you adjust," she said gently, she wasn't able to completely shut off, but she could stall her emotions. As soon as she was out the door she would collapse into a nervous wreck. "We need to make sure you can take care of yourself, you've had a very traumatic experience."

"What would you know?" he spat, guard up. She could deal with shouting and tears, had grown her own shield. It didn't stop her sobbing in her office when she had to tell a family their loved one was dead… That she had failed them. It was something that she never grew immune to. Those eyes… Accusing, broken eyes boring into her.

"That is the condition Uchiha-san, would you like time to think it over first?" Hinata asked. Polite, switching emotions off and ignoring the patients tone. Robotic some might say, uncaring according to others. It was Hinata's defence, subtle, but enough to hold her together.

He eyed her warily, his eyes never losing that wild look. It was alike to a wild animal trapped in a cage. His pale lips thinned and he turned away from her.

"Whatever it takes to get me out of here."

* * *

"We're here," Hinata said, before opening the door. Sasuke stared ahead, not even glancing at his house. Hinata waited as rain started to pour down on her. Sasuke continued to stare blankly forward and Hinata opened the door for him. "Uchiha-san, you need to get inside before you get sick."

Finally his head turned in her direction. He stared at her while she inwardly grimaced at the feel her drenched clothes and her bangs beginning to stick to her face. At this rate, she was going to get sick, but the patient always comes first. Always, no matter what anyone else says.

She was beginning to shiver, but he just stared at her with those dark blank eyes. She bit her lip, trying to stop her shaking. _Was he afraid to go back into the house? It was understandable…_

"W-would you rather we went b-back to mine for t-tonight then?" Hinata said, trying to stop the shivering seeping into her voice. It sounded like stuttering, that accursed old habit that showed her lack of self confidence more clearly than the word 'TIMID' printed in big, bold, red capitals on her forehead. If that had been the case, her bangs would have covered it. She'd managed to kick the habit for the most part, but there were times when it reared its ugly head.

"You're getting wet," he stated. Hinata almost rolled her eyes and sighed in aggravation. But he was a patient in her care, so the business like attitude prevented it. "You need to get some clothes and stuff anyway don't you?"

"It could have waited 'til morning Uchiha-san," she sighed, now completely soaked to the bone, her body growing numb. "But we'll go to mine instead."

She wasted no time in running round the car and jumping back into the driver seat. A hot shower was a necessity if she didn't want a violent cold. The car came to life and she pulled out the driveway. She glanced at the Uchiha, who was staring out the window at the house. She was about to try and start a conversation but caught sight of his face reflected in the window.

His face was stark white, eyes wide in horror. She choked slightly on her breath, and glanced at the medication that was in the paper bag on Sasuke's lap. She just hoped he'd take it willingly, especially the sleeping pills.

She gasped and hit the brakes when a cat raced across the road. With a sigh she drove off again, the windscreen wipers fiercely battling against the sheets of rain. Sasuke glanced at her before staring back out the window, catching the cat's gaze which never left the car…


	2. 猫

**A/N:** It's pretty mild at the moment, no? Don't worry, eventually you'll see how twisted my mind can be :)

* * *

**_Noroi no Uchiha_**

**_

* * *

_**

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

猫

"Make yourself at home Uchiha-san," Hinata said, as he walked inside her house. It was simple, in a traditional Japanese style and reasonably spacious. She was still shivering and decided that she was in need of a shower before him. "Take a seat Uchiha-san, I'll be back shortly."

Too shortly in her opinion. She showered quickly, savouring the warmth hitting her cold skin. She would have stayed in there longer, but reminded herself that she had a patient to look after and dragged herself out to change.

When she returned, she found him sitting in the same place she left him, his eyes boring into her. It was awkward, and she had a strong urge for tea and sleep.

"Do you want a shower? You can borrow some of my cousin's old clothes," Hinata offered, thankful for Neji being overprotective enough to stay over reasonably often. He didn't answer and simply strode past her, slamming the door to the bathroom. She sighed and left a shirt and slacks outside the door.

Tea really was a luxury, the feel of it warming her entire body and relaxing her really did feel like heaven in that moment. The soft patter as rain pounded from the heavens was almost soothing. Thunder grumbled lowly and lightning tore through the sky a couple of seconds later. The storm was close, and pretty violent at that.

Hinata sunk more into her chair, resisting the urge to fall asleep there and then. Though she wasn't afraid of Sasuke, she was meant to be watching over him, and falling asleep while he was in the shower wasn't a particularly responsible thing to do. He had been in there quite a while actually… The thunder growled again and the lights flickered. Hinata sighed and stood up. If there was going to be a power cut she should probably find some candles.

She was distracted by a sound at her front door. She blinked, reasoning that no one would come and visit her in the middle of a storm. The sound occurred again, a frantic scratching outside of her door.

"Hello?" Hinata said confused, she approached the door as the scratching got more frantic, followed by a low whine. Confused, Hinata grabbed her key and inserted into the lock, just as she was about to turn it she was wrenched away from it with such force that she fell back. "Wha—?"

"Don't open the door!" Sasuke hissed. He had dragged her away with such force that she had flown into him, knocking them both over. There was a low whine again and the scratching became desperate.

"I think there's a cat outside," Hinata said surprised, going to get up, but Sasuke held her down, his arms and legs wrapped around her.

"_Don't open the door_!"

"Uchiha-san, let go of me," Hinata said, trying to loosen his grip on her.

"You'll let them in!"

"It's just a cat—"

"No!"

"SASUKE!" Hinata shouted, causing him to freeze. He let her go, allowing her to stand, his eyes following her every movement. She peered through the glass peephole of her door and sighed. "It's a cat, no one else is outside," she stated. "Can I let the cat in?" Sasuke didn't answer and instead just stared at her, he stood, backing away from the door. She unlocked it and opened it a crack and a soaked black cat shot inside.

"Tenka?" Sasuke said as the cat shook itself mewing.

"You know Neko-chan?" Hinata asked as the cat mewed at her feet. Getting the message she walked into the kitchen getting the milk out the fridge.

"How do _you_ know one of the family cats?" Sasuke said, almost accusingly. She placed the milk down and got another towel, gently drying the now purring cat.

"I suppose the people who live here before liked to feed them," Hinata said simply, having dried the small cat to the best of her ability. It mewed and began cleaning itself. "It's getting late Uchiha-san, you should get some rest." Hinata rummaged through the bag and found the pack of sleeping pills. She handed two to the Uchiha and placed a glass of water next to them.

"I don't need them," Sasuke said coldly.

"You need to sleep Uchiha-san," Hinata stated, pushing the water closer to him as she proceeded to wash up the bowl she had given milk to Tenka in.

"They don't help," Sasuke said stubbornly.

"They do," Hinata said, lifting up Tenka, who was purring contently.

"I'll be fine," Sasuke ground out, feeling his temper spark.

"Fine, but you'll start your medication course tomorrow when we move back into your house," Hinata relented, too tired to continue arguing. "Down the hall, last door on your left."

* * *

Hinata was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, her door open slightly, should the Uchiha need her. Tenka had chosen to sleep in her room instead of Sasuke's, curling up beside her and watching her sleep with glowing red eyes.

Sasuke lay their restless, tossing and turning, tangling the sheets around him. He couldn't relax, let alone sleep. His muscles were tense, adrenaline speeding through his veins as his heart pumped furiously in his chest. He couldn't handle being here in the dark on his own, it was suffocating. He froze when he heard a creak, his eyes widening as sweat began to gleam across his brow.

It's an old house, old houses tend to creak.

Rational reasoning was thrown out the window when he heard a louder creak, directly above him. He couldn't breath, making a small croak in fear. It's just his overactive imagination, there's nothing there. He felt something wet hit his cheek and wiped it off, his eyes widening in horror seeing the smudge of blood across his finger. He slowly turned his head, petrified onyx eyes searching for the source of the creaking…

Hinata was jolted awake at the sound of Sasuke's scream and immediately threw herself out of bed, the covers landing on Tenka in heap as she kicked open her door and ran towards the room Sasuke was in. His screams only got louder and she wasted no time barging in his room, only to get thrown back out when Sasuke ran into her.

"Uchi—Sasuke!" Hinata cried, forgetting formalities as she tried to restrain his desperate attempts of escape. "It was a dream Sasuke, calm down!"

"We've got to get out of here!" Sasuke cried, gripping her shoulders. "You don't understand—!!"

"Sasuke!" Hinata said, grabbing his face and forcing her to look at him. "It was a nightmare, whatever scared you can't hurt you now."

"You're not listening to me, he's _here_!" Sasuke exclaimed in a strangled yell.

"I'm going into that room, and I'll prove they're not," Hinata said, untangling herself from the frightened man and standing up.

"No—NO! Don't go in there!" Sasuke cried, grabbing hold of the end of her shirt. Ignoring his protests, she opened the door. The window was open, leaving a chilly draft. She glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"There's no one there Uchiha-san."

"There is!" Sasuke hissed, backed up against the wall, trying to put as much distance between him and that room as he could. Hinata sighed, her eyes scanning the room once more. She blinked when she felt something wet hit her cheek. _The rain must be coming through…_ She wiped the drop off her cheek, pausing when she noticed that it was dark. _And ruining the paint while it's at it…_ She sighed and turned to face Sasuke, oblivious to the eyes following her every move.

"There's no one there. The roof is just leaking," Hinata stated.

"I'm not going back in there," Sasuke hissed, flinching when he saw a shadow move inside the room. He didn't say anything, knowing she already thought he was mad.

"That's the only spare room Uchiha-san, and the sofa's wet from the rain," Hinata explained, leaving the fact that he was the one that made her sofa wet.

"I'm not going back in there," Sasuke repeated making Hinata sigh at his stubborn attitude.

"Uchiha-san, you can't possibly be suggesting you stay in my room."

"I don't care, as long as I'm not in that room," Sasuke snarled.

"Fine. Then I'll sleep in here," Hinata said tiredly, gesturing to the room behind her.

"You're not staying in there!" Sasuke snapped, noticing another shadow cross the moonlight from the window.

"Uchiha-san…" Hinata sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know what, fine. Sleep in my room. Just go to sleep and let me sleep okay?" she didn't wait for him to answer and just walked back into her room, pulling the covers back over her. She heard the springs groan as he climbed in next to her, his back facing her. "Oyasuminasai."

She ignored the fact he didn't reply, and simply fell straight back to sleep.

* * *

* * *


	3. 家入る

A/N: I want to get to the good bits D: Thank you for your reviews :)

* * *

**_Noroi no Uchiha_**

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

家入る

"Uchiha-san?" Hinata asked, rising from her bed and looking around drowsily. "Where could he have gone?"

"In the shower perhaps?" Sasuke scoffed making her jump violently.

"Uchiha-san! I-I Didn't see you there!" Hinata cried, clutching her shirt, under which her heart beated wildly.

"You don't see many things," Sasuke said simply, unnerving her slightly. She mentally shook herself and tried to revert back to her business-like self.

"Excuse me, but would you mind leaving the room while I gather things for my shower? I'll sort out breakfast afterwards," Hinata requested.

"Why? I changed in here," Sasuke stated making her cringe slightly.

"I'm a woman Uchiha-san, we work differently," she said, hurriedly grabbing a clean set of clothes and rushing into the bathroom. Sasuke watched her go, boredom etched onto his tired face.

"You'll see soon enough," he said almost threateningly. He shivered, feeling droplets of water running down his neck from his wet hair. He pulled his used towel over his head and roughly towel dried his hair.

* * *

"Honestly…" Hinata scoffed dropping her clean clothes down and stripping out of her nightclothes. "He'll probably be better once he's in his own home though." She sighed, feeling the hot water cascade down her body. She grabbed some shampoo and worked on lathering it into her indigo locks, massaging her scalp as she hummed softly.

The shower faltered, the water stopping for a split second before cooling down.

"Did he use all the hot water?" Hinata mumbled to herself, pushing her shampoo covered bangs out of her eyes. She sighed and worked on washing out the bubbles under the cold water. She shuddered, the cold drops making it feel like an icy finger was stroking her spine. She couldn't stop a second shiver as it happened again, goosebumps sprouting from her pale skin.

She sighed in relief when the water warmed up and started to relax again. The steam rose up feeling like someone's breath on her neck. Hinata rolled her eyes. Now she was getting paranoid, that wouldn't be much help to her patient would it? Once she completed her necessities she stepped out the bathroom after towel drying most of her hair.

Sasuke sat at the kitchen table, his eyes following her as she reached her fridge. _She's denying what's right in front of her…_

"Any preferences Uchiha-san?" she asked politely, looking round at him. He didn't answer and just continued with that piercing stare of his. She sighed, and just made the first thing that came into her head.

* * *

After gathering some clothes and other items she'd need into a small bag, she managed to usher Sasuke and Tenka into her car, ready to brave the Uchiha manor. The rain was still coming down in heavy sheets, no doubt it was going to be difficult to see, but she'd have to deal with it.

"Are you scared?" Sasuke asked, stroking Tenka who was nestled in his lap. She looked at him puzzled and shook her head. "You should be." Sasuke said sternly, looking ahead at the soaked windscreen.

"It'll be fine Uchiha-san," Hinata said, trying her best to sound reassuring. "We have your medication, and I'll be around in case something bad happens."

"You'll see soon enough." Hinata sighed and turned the key in the ignition. The car spluttered once or twice before roaring into life. _She'd have to get that checked._ She drove carefully, peering through the rain, her windscreen wipers working in vain against the bad weather. She managed to avoid a lorry thanks to her good eyesight, but was starting to get irritated.

"We aren't scheduled to have this bad weather," she grumbled to herself, remembering the forecast. It was meant to be slightly cloudy and hot, not high chances of flooding. She squinted, trying to make out the road and then gasped and let out a strangled scream as she realised a taxi was heading straight for her, preparing for a head on collision.

She quickly spun the wheel and managed to avoid the car, apart from the back end of her car, which she felt was knocked. Through the whole experience Sasuke sat bored, gazing blankly into space. Hinata wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, ask him if he knew he'd almost lost his life. Breathing heavily, she drove slower, a lot more on edge than before.

"These things will be happening a lot," Sasuke said in an emotionless voice.

"W-what?" she spluttered.

"You'll see soon enough."

"We're here," Hinata said rather tartly. Unbuckling her seatbelt, pulling the keys out of the ignition, grabbing her bag and slamming open the door rather violently. She quickly walked over to the other side of the car and wrenched the door open, causing Tenka to shrink back from the rain.

Like before, Sasuke sat unmoving and simply stared at her as the rain quickly started to soak through her clothes. In no mood to argue after a bad nights sleep, almost getting killed and cold and wet for the second day in a row she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Get out of the car," she ordered, scowling at him. He simply stared at her looking unamused. "Uchiha Sasuke, if I have to take your hand and walk you to the house like a child then I will!" she said, the near death experience having destroyed her usual calm patience. After a full two minutes, where Hinata fumed silently in the rain, Sasuke unbuckled his seatbelt and held out his hand. Her eyes widened, taken aback. "Y-you…?"

"That was the deal," Sasuke stated, Tenka mewing in protest as Sasuke grabbed her hand and stepped out the car. "You'll see soon enough anyway."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Hinata asked, kicking the door shut and pressing the button, making her car lock.

"Because you'll see I was right, and you'll be sorry," Sasuke said, standing rooted to the spot when Hinata tried to pull him in the direction of the house. "You're afraid aren't you?"

"No."

"You're lying."

"I'm uncomfortable Uchiha-san not afraid," Hinata said, her usually good temper beginning to strain.

"You have reason to be afraid." Sasuke said, before beginning to walk after her at a slow pace, despite her attempts to get him to speed up. When they reached the door she fumbled with the keys, her hands numb from cold. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she finally managed to unlock the door.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of heat. The Uchiha manor was bitterly cold, perhaps more so than outside. The air stank of bleach and lemon, where the clean up squad had no doubt been at work. The place was spotless, sterile.

She flipped on the nearest light, noticing a shadow move out of her peripheral vision, a cat poking his head out from around the corner a moment later. She supposed it wouldn't be too bad having cats about, they might make Sasuke feel more at home and help him relax. The sooner he was comfortable, the sooner she could contact a family friend or a relative to stay with him instead.

"What room will I be staying in?" Hinata asked, figuring there was no point beating around the bush.

"Mine."

"E-eh! I don't think so!" Hinata cried, immediately becoming flustered, her cheeks lighting crimson. "Uchiha-san I will not under any circumstances share a room with you!"

"This is my house, so you'll do as I say," Sasuke stated. "You are not sleeping in my parents or brothers room and there are no spare rooms. Therefore you'll be staying in mine."

"And y-you?"

"Will also be staying in mine." Hinata willed herself not to pass out. If he tried anything she could punch him, call the hospital, and arrange for someone to take over. "There are also rules."

"Rules? Uchiha-san…"

"You are not to go anywhere in this house without me, when you are in the bathroom, I will stand outside, when you leave, I will accompany you."

"That's not going to happen…"

"You are not to touch anything that is not yours. Anything that belonged to my family is not to be moved," Sasuke continued.

"How do you expect me to clean then? Dust makes me sneeze," Hinata said, starting to get annoyed at being bossed about. She was freezing, she needed another shower.

"I'll clean."

"Y-you?" Hinata said, just able to stop her jaw from dropping.

"Like I said, you're no to touch anything belonging to this house unless I am with you to observe you as you do it and you have my express permission," Sasuke finished. Hinata sighed to herself and reminded herself this was a patient, a patient with PTSD, depression and paranoia.

"We'll see how it goes Uchiha-san," Hinata said, no longer in the mood to argue.

"And you will call me Sasuke, especially in this house."

"Anything else?" Hinata said before she could stop herself. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"If you feel afraid, no matter what… _don't open your eyes_."

* * *


	4. 寒気

**_

* * *

_**

Noroi no Uchiha

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

Shivers

寒気

Hinata sighed, placing her bags down. As promised, Sasuke stood by the door watching her every move, his eyes sometimes flicking a cross the room. How did she end up in this mess? Still, it would only be for a short while, she shouldn't complain.

"Come, I'll show you around," Sasuke commanded, waiting until she was beside him before nudging her slightly ahead so he could see her. It was like she was a prisoner, did he really trust her so little? He took her round the house, pointing at certain things and commenting on how she can't go there, she can't touch that, etc, etc.

She couldn't help but shiver slightly, she was still wet from the rain, but this house gave her chills. It was so unnaturally cold in this house, did the central heating not work? She watched as her breath rose as a fog before her. She hoped a shower would be warm, she didn't want to get sick.

"Uch—"

"Sasuke," Sasuke corrected her, cutting her off.

"Sasuke-san, anou… would it be possible t-to…" Hinata began.

"To what?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"Anou, u-use your sh-shower?" Hinata stuttered a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Fine, let's go," he said leading her back towards his room. She shivered feeling as though someone's eyes were fixed on her back watching her every move. He stood inside the room as she gathered her things from her bag, scoffing when she tried to hide her underwear from his sight. He'd had girls' underwear thrown at him in high school, he'd seen it all before.

"I won't be long," Hinata said as he walked her to the bathroom door.

"Don't lock the door," Sasuke said catching her wrist as she went to turn the handle.

"W-why?" she asked. She needed to lock that door for privacy and security, just for a little while she needed to be away from his suffocating presence.

"The door won't open again if you do," he said sternly. She looked at him with wide eyes and he scoffed irritably. "Why the hell would I want to look at you? You're nothing special. I just don't want you to be locked in my bathroom and have to break down my door." She wasn't sure whether to be offended or relieved by his comment, but accepted it and went inside, closing the door after her but leaving it unlocked.

She heard a thump, then another thump and guessed he'd sat down outside the door. Nervously she quickly stripped and then climbed in the shower, drawing the curtain and then turning it on.

She shivered when cold water sprayed down on her, goosebumps spreading across her skin. As she reached for her bathing supplies she was relieved when the water began to warm up. The warm hammering feeling soothed her and she massaged shampoo into her scalp before washing it out and then applying conditioner to the ends. She got some soap and massaged her body, soapsuds covering her milky skin. She sighed as the water washed the bubbles away and closed her eyes in bliss.

She shivered slightly when she felt a cold breeze blow across her skin. Why did this house have to be so cold? The cold breeze floated across her skin in feather like touches, down her back, and up her stomach. She grimaced as it seemed to caress the undersides of her breasts. Where was this wind coming from? Was there a window open? She opened her eyes deciding to get out and looked down to see if the bubbles were all gone.

Sasuke jumped violently at the sound of her scream. He scrambled to his feet when he heard a loud bang and went to open the door, only to hear it lock. He pounded on the door, feeling it shake under his blows.

"Open the door! Hyuuga! HYUUGA!!" Sasuke shouted. He became anxious when he heard no reply and desperately tried to open the door. She hadn't locked it, he hadn't heard her step out the shower. "Hyuuga! HYUUGA!" What the hell was her name? There's more chance she'd answer to her first name than last name. What the hell was it?! Hi… Hi… Hina… Hinara… Hinana… no, Hinata! "HINATA!!" Sasuke shouted and to his surprise the door unlocked. He wasted no time barging inside and watched in horror as a small dark shadow disappeared through the ceiling. "Damn!"

He rushed over to the shower hearing it still running. Pulling back the curtain he realised she was unconscious lying on her front. He wasted no time turning the shower off and grabbing a towel, wrapping her in it and hoisting her up. She was heavier than she looked when she was unconscious and wet. He walked out and kicked open his bedroom door, walking over to his bed and setting her down on it. Sitting on the edge the bed he ran his hands through his hair in stress.

It was twenty minutes or so before she woke up. She was aware she was cold and wet and also that she wasn't in the shower anymore. She groggily sat up and quickly caught the towel that had been wrapped around her before it fell down.

"W-what happened?"

"You passed out." She jumped at the sound of Sasukes voice and clutched the towel to her as though it was her lifeline. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she said after a long pause, turning away from him and wrapping her arms more securely around herself.

"Liar," Sasuke hissed.

"I just... fainted, I can't remember why," she said shakily. She could remember, oh how couldn't she? Every time she closed her eyes to blink, sunken blood red eyes blazed on the inside of her lids...


	5. 一時的 に逃れる

**A/N:** _kigome ibaki,_ if everyone else can wait patiently so can you. I do have a life and also _other_ stories to update. For everyone else, thank you for your reviews and your patience, I apologise for the wait, enjoy as Hinata begins to get paranoid :)**

* * *

**

**Noroi no Uchiha**

* * *

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

_Temporary Escape_

一時的 に逃れる

The more time she spent in that house, the more she thought her sanity was slipping between her fingers. Every shadow seemed to move. Every draft seemed to roll across her skin. And on top of all her paranoia Uchiha Sasuke was seriously trying her patience.

He was glued to her. She moved, he followed as though chained or pulled by a magnetic current. She wanted a shower, he would sit on the toilet and wait for her. He wanted a shower she had to stand in there and wait. She couldn't even go to the damn toilet in peace!

So she decided, to hell with it. She was living with him and taking care of him (while the hospital and police were doing all they could to try and find a relative for him to stay with) and she needed, and I mean seriously _needed_ a little bit of space. So she asked him if she could go back to working at the hospital part time. Any idea what he replied?

No.

As if he was her father of all things. Was he becoming dependant on her? Attached? Obsessive? You have to remember that this is Sasuke and no matter how depressed, paranoid or deeply traumatised he still was he still had an excessive amount of pride. Rather he treated her like some sort of disabled child that he had been dumped with and was committed to look after. She wondered if he loathed her.

And then she was struck with a brilliant idea.

_Groceries._

Sadly, he was adamant he go with her. They walked out umbrella in hand and headed towards the bus station that was a twenty minute walk away. You have absolutely no idea how good it felt to step out of that house; as though you were being freed from imprisonment after a long sentence or you had just been rescued of a desert island. Sasuke seemed to share the belief as he didn't complain or snap at her the whole walk, rather he simply scowled at the rain.

"Sasuke-san, is there anything you'd like in particular?" Hinata asked chirpily, a wonderful mood sparking in her at the taste of reasonable freedom. He said nothing and simply dumped many packets of fresh tomatoes in the basket. Hinata raised an eyebrow and he gave her a defiant glare that just _dared_ her to question him. She shrugged and continued getting necessities.

The thought of going back to that house, made Hinata force back tears. She wanted to sit in the middle of the shop floor and childishly refuse to move. As a usually sensible person this thought shocked and humoured Hinata and she decided to try and cling to her good mood as long as she could.

"Ready to go?" Sasuke asked impatiently. She offhandedly wondered how he didn't have frown lines with all that scowling. She then berated herself for her silly thoughts. To be honest no, she really wasn't ready to leave. She wanted to stay away from that house for longer and if possible, never return. She'd quite like to leave Sasuke behind too what with his suffocating personality but her conscience nagged and nagged at her until she felt truly awful and took it back.

The rain fell heavier as they left the store and headed back to the bus stop. People were huddled under the shelter, rather gloomy with the constant rain. Like a plague the gloom began to seep into Hinata and she felt her earlier good mood begin to slip away.

They took a seat near the middle of the bus and sat side by side, Hinata taking the window seat while Sasuke leant back on the uncomfortable seat, spreading his legs slightly and sitting in a way most young males do. He folded his arms over his chest and looked ready to doze off.

A few giggling girls passed and shot him suggestive looks which he ignored. She supposed he was used to them with his rugged good looks. Hinata sighed softly, her posture sagging slightly when her shoulders drooped. They'd be back in that house soon and she couldn't use groceries as an excuse tomorrow. Maybe she'd think of something else. Perhaps visit a friend? Most of her friends were male and had a tendency to be a tad protective due to her shy nature. It wouldn't be a good idea to let them meet Sasuke who was arrogant and mostly rude to her. Perhaps a female friend? But would they be able to resist his good looks? It would be mortifying if they made a pass at him while she was there and even worse if they got rejected. Her family was a big no-no. Daddy would question him on family and finances, and if he liked what he heard arranged marriage, Neji-niisan would look at him with disgust and try and force his 'I am alpha-male' opinion onto him which would surely end in a fight and Hanabi… What would Hanabi do? Probably copy father.

As the bus lurched into movement Hinata looked at the stormy grey sky and watched as raindrops raced each other down the window. She rested her head against the cool glass, ignoring the knowledge she'd probably get a headache. She could feel the movements of the long vehicle and ignored the mixed feeling of nausea and drowsiness. Her eyelids drooped and with a sigh she looked back out the window only to lurch back violently falling onto Sasuke's lap and startling him.

"What the--?!" Sasuke cried angrily but stopped at the frozen look of pure horror etched in her face, eyes wide and lips parted ready to scream. "Hyuuga?"

Those eyes, _those eyes_! They had stared directly at her a hairs width away! Blood red eyes, sunken into darkened sockets. Was it the same as before? Was it? She'd been so close she could only see the eyes surrounded by dark bruises contrasting against sickly pale skin.

"Oi Hinata." She looked up wildly like a rabbit caught in a trap. "What happened?" he whispered.

"N-nothing," she choked out and see could the disbelief in his face before she'd even spoken. Could he feel her heart beating like a hummingbirds wing? Was that what gave her away? "I-I-I… I j-just saw your face in the window and it startled me!" she quickly lied. His lips thinned and eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more, just pushed her shaking body upright, back into her seat.

When she glanced back at the window all she could see was her own horrified reflection and the raindrops beating innocently against the glass.


	6. 正規のサウンド

* * *

**Noroi no Uchiha**

* * *

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

_Sounds of Normality_

正規のサウンド

The soft drizzle of rain didn't bother her in the slightest. She knew Sasuke was there, standing on the porch a few feet away his eyes scanning the outside of his house as he stood on the porch. Every minute or so, his eyes would flick to her to check what she was doing.

It may be common sense to stay under shelter when it rains, but the soft mist of rain was refreshing to her after being cramped in that house. She wanted to go out and socialise, have some fun and relax for a while. But Sasuke wouldn't exactly be a fun guest to bring along. She guessed she'd underestimated the scale of the job to look after him. But she endured it by telling herself 'it would only be for a few more days', days that passed at the pace of a lethargic snail.

"Onee-chan."

She wondered, were they even trying to find someone for him?

"Onee-chan."

Or would she be doomed looking after him forever?

"Onee-chan!!"

Hinata jumped, visibly startled by the shout directly into her ear. Blinking, she noticed a pouting girl standing before her.

"Hanabi-chan?"

"Onee-chan, you really are out of it aren't you!" Hanabi huffed, folding her arms and scowling at her older sister. Really, how could she ignore her like that?

"Hanabi-chan, not meaning to be rude, but… Why exactly are you here?" Hinata asked puzzled, shuddering slightly at the burning feeling of Sasuke's eyes on her back.

"Ever thought of _calling_ Onee-chan?" Hanabi asked, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips. "I've had to go wandering around looking for you for _days_! You weren't at your own place and your phone was there so I couldn't call you," she dumped Hinata's cell phone in her lap. "And when I asked your friends none of them knew where you were! Honestly, I was so close to going to Father to ask for some detectives."

"Gomen," Hinata said placing a hand on Hanabi's head. The smaller girl waved off Hinata's hand and combed through her brown locks in case it had been messed up.

"What are you doing on Uchiha property?"

Ah, and the Uchiha decides to make himself known. Oh dear, here she goes…

"Onee-chan!" Hanabi cried delighted. "So this is why you didn't call, you were with a hottie!"

"Hanabi-chan! It's not like that! I'm looking after Sasuke-san for _work_," Hinata scolded.

"Sasuke-kun, hm?" Hanabi said raising a delicate brow and looking the unimpressed Uchiha up and down. "Onee-chan, you scored big time."

"Hanabi…"

"Get out," Sasuke said, his patience thinning.

"Alright, but I'll be back sweet cheeks!" Hanabi called with a wave, before walking off. Hinata watched her go, immediately wanting her to come back. No matter how annoying she was, at least it was company.

"That was?" Sasuke asked, demanding to know who that odd little girl was.

"My little sister, sorry about that," Hinata apologised. She stepped onto the sheltered porch and her phone vibrated in her hand.

You have one new text message.

From: Unknown.

Message:

A blank message from an unknown number? Hinata's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she checked through her phone.

822 missed calls.

704 new messages.

Looking at the oldest missed calls first she noticed loads from Kiba. A smile twitched at her lips at the thought of her over protective friend pressing redial at random points during the day. Counting them, there was 114. There were 17 from Shino, he was far more level headed. Hanabi called 25 times.

666 calls were from an unknown number.

666 texts were blank from an unknown number.

Slightly disturbed, Hinata cleared her calls and the blank texts.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice said nearby to her left.

"My friends were worried because I didn't get in contact," Hinata replied. She couldn't help but notice that the hospital had not called. The thought depressed her. "I should let them know I'm alright."

"Hn."

Looks like she wasn't going to get any privacy. In that case she should probably call Shino, he would be calm and able to tell Kiba. If she called Kiba… Well, half the country would probably hear him.

"_Good day, Aburame Shino speaking,"_ came the familiar smooth monotone.

"Sh-Shino-kun?"

"_Ah Hinata, it's you and not your sister this time."_

"Gomen, Shino-kun."

"_Did you just say Hinata?! Gimmie the phone!!"  
_

"_It was I she called."_

"_GIVE ME THE PHONE!"_

_"Kiba. Sit. DOWN."_

"Umm…?"

"_My apologies Hinata, we were both very concerned. Naturally, Kiba is more expressive with his feelings."_

"I understand. I'm sorry, I was given a job by Shizune."

_"I'm aware. I did call up and find out, but Kiba got upset when you didn't call."_

"_Stop making me out to be a whiny little kid!"_

_"Then stop acting like one."_

_"What?!"_

_"If you speak in a civilised fashion I will allow you to talk to Hinata."_

_"Give me the phone."_

_"Manners?"_

_"Now."_

_-sigh-_

"_Hinata, Hinata is that you?!"_

"Yes Kiba-kun," Hinata said a giggle escaping her.

"_Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Seriously, I thought you'd been raped or murdered or kidnapped or eaten! Don't scare me like that!"_

"I'm sorry."

_"You should be missy! Poor Akamaru was beside himself!"_

"Thank you for caring," she replied.

"_Kiba stop blushing like a hormonal schoolboy."_

"_Shut up!"_

_-rustle, bang, thud-_

"_Hinata, are you safe and well where you are?"_ Shino's voice asked taking a serious tone.

"Yes, yes I am," she replied, though couldn't help feel uneasy with her answer. She didn't feel safe nor well at this place.

"_If you're certain. You know our doors are always open."_

"_You know where our spare keys are babes!"_

_"Kiba. What have I told you about calling Hinata in such a way?"_

_"Not to do it?"_

_"Exactly. Now be quiet you imbecile."_

_"Who are you calling an imbecile bug lover?!"_

"I'm glad you two are alright," Hinata said a genuine smile pulling at her lips. "Its good to hear from you again."

"_The same with you Hinata."_

_**-ding dong-**_

"_Pizza!"_

_"Kiba. Tell me you did not order that awful muck again."_

"_I did not order 'that awful muck' again. This time I got pepperoni!"_

"…_Forgive me Hinata, but I have a house to protect."_

"Of course Shino-kun, send Kiba-kun my love."

"_Hinata sends her love."_

"_Ehh?! No she can't go yet!"_

_"I doubt she wants to listen to you talking with your mouth full. It's disgusting just to see it."_

"_Oi!"_

_"And stop blushing dimwit."_

"_I'm not!"_

_"Say goodbye to Hinata."_

_"Bye Hinata-chaaaaaaaan!! We love youuuuuu!"_

"_-aggravated sigh- Goodbye Hinata, love from us both."_

"Goodbye." With that she hung up, feeling better than she had the whole time she had been here. She'd go and see them if she could, but they'd interrogate and threaten Sasuke.

"Done?" Sasuke asked, hands burried deep into his pockets.

"Yes," she replied, slipping her phone into her pocket. He huffed slightly and turned to open the door. He glanced back at her and with a sigh she stepped inside, back into the prison under his watchful gaze.

"Give me your phone."

"Hm? Why?" she asked confused. She was half scared he would confiscate it and forbid her from speaking to her friends.

"What do you think? To put in my number," he scoffed taking it from her. As it left her hands, the small object shuddered in Sasuke's hands. "You have a message," he said dropping it back in her hands. She blinked and turned to her phone.

One new message.

From: Unknown.

Message:

**_I'm always watching, my hime._**

She almost dropped her phone in horror. Sasuke gave her a confused look and she quickly composed herself.

"My father, he's mad I didn't call him," she lied quickly. She closed the message and opened a new contact for Sasuke to put his details in. The Uchiha did so and then gave it back to her.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're pale as a sheet," he stated.

"Fine. I'm... I'm fine."


	7. 過去の顔

**

* * *

**

Noroi no Uchiha

* * *

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

過去の顔

Past Faces

After seeing Hanabi and speaking with Shino and Kiba, Hinata found herself relaxing a little. The comfort of familiar people soothed her state of mind and she found herself able to ignore the shadows and the irritation of Sasuke's constant presence for a couple of days.

The hospital, to her dismay, still had not bothered to contact her.

After three more days Hinata found herself craving company and comfort. The phone call had been a welcome distraction, but she wanted proper company for a while. She wanted to see Kiba or Shino.

Sadly, working up the nerve to ask her stoic charge wasn't as easy as one would believe.

Apparently though, fate decided to reward her patience and cure her loneliness by sending people to her. The doorbell rang like heavens chimes and Sasuke looked up seeming irritated. He glanced at her and then approached the door sending her a glare as she quickly shuffled closely behind.

Apprehensively he looked through the eyehole before moving back and sneering with disgust. With a scoff he turned and walked away from the door and back towards the kitchen, seeming intent on ignoring it.

Hinata had other ideas. Without even bothering to discover who it was, she unlocked the door and all but wrenched it off its hinges in her desperation to let the people in.

Unfortunately, they happened to be the last people she expected.

"Ah, is… Sasuke-kun in?"

She froze as though paralyzed, staring at them with wide eyes as she tried to get her brain to function. She couldn't create movement or speech. She just felt so… so numb.

Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura.

"Must be a cleaner or a carer," the woman said with a slight sneer. She replaced it with a sugared smile and looked down at the shorter woman. "We're Sasuke-kun's friends."

The girl had not changed in the development to a woman. Not personality-wise at least.

"What do you two want?" Sasuke grumbled, appearing behind Hinata and placing a heavy hand on her shoulder to move her out of the way.

"Sasuke-kun!" the girl cried, brightening considerably at the sight of her target.

"Temee! We've been trying to get hold of you for ages!"

"Clearly you didn't get the message. If I asked not to be seen at the hospital and refused visitors, clearly I would not want them turning up on my doorstep," Sasuke said with the slightest hint of a growl.

"Bah! As if we care!" the blonde man pushed past Sasuke and entered the home, his pink companion quickly following. "We're your friends, you need us!"

"He's right Sasuke-kun," Sakura fussed, pushing Sasuke into a chair. "You've been through a terrible ordeal, you need us around."

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably, feeling like a spare wheel. She wished she hadn't opened the door now. Still, she could be civilised and offer tea at least. Then it would be perfectly acceptable to run into her –actually _Sasuke's_- room and hide until they left. Yes, she was a mature woman. She could manage five minutes of tea-making.

"A-anou…"

At once all eyes turned on her and it was like being back in school. Intense gazes scrutinising her. She felt her face heat up and her head swim. No, she was a mature woman.

"C-can I…" Stop stuttering! "May I offer you some tea?"

"Sasuke-teme! You've got a maid?"

"Well it would seem fit, considering circumstances," Sakura said, emerald eyes narrowing in distaste.

They either didn't recognise her at all, or were pretending very well.

"Sakura-chan and I drink coffee if you're offering, maid-chan," Naruto said with a boyish grin. Didn't seem he'd changed much either.

"We're out of milk," Sasuke said before Hinata even began to wonder.

"Surely you could just send her to the shop? We'll be here a while and it would give us a little more privacy," Sakura said, glaring at Hinata as she tried to drop the hint.

Ah, go to the shops for a while and escape this house and these people! They surely wouldn't miss her if she was gone a few hours after all… Hang on, had the hospital got in contact with these people? Surely there was no point in coming back! But that would be rude, they're surely about to have an important conversation. She'd come back for her stuff later.

"H-hai! Of course, please excuse me," Hinata said bowing politely before turning to grab her coat. To her surprise, Sasuke's hand appeared on her coat, holding it out to her.

"It won't take long. I'll walk with you," Sasuke said.

"I don't see why that's necessary Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said before Hinata could protest. "After all…"

"She's not my maid, she's a nurse from the hospital that's taking care of me for a special case so that I was allowed home," Sasuke interrupted, fixing Sakura with a glare.

"I was trained personally under Tsunade-sama, I'm positive I could take far better care of you," she said passionately.

"You're needed by numerous patients in the hospital. Not to assist me. I would have thought you'd dropped that petty jealousy in school Sakura."

Even though Hinata didn't like Sakura much, she still thought it a bit harsh. Naruto was being oddly quiet, meaning he probably agreed.

"We don't need you to come with us. We'll be back in an hour or so. Don't touch anything," Sasuke said coldly and pushed Hinata out the door before closing it behind them.

"S-Sasuke-san?"

"They shouldn't have come here," Sasuke said tensely as he began walking. "They're not safe here."

"Sasuke-san, if you want them to leave…" Hinata began but was cut off by a scoff or perhaps a short sarcastic laugh.

"You know them well enough to know that they'll never leave," Sasuke said eyeing her. The statement caught her off guard and she looked down at the ground.

Did he know? They're all friends so surely…

"I know what you're thinking," he muttered and instead of looking up, her head sank lower. "Yes. They did tell me."

"I see…" she whispered weakly in reply.

"What they did to you was wrong."

The statement caught her attention.

"Whilst I may not seem as someone who would care, such behaviour is something I do not approve of," he said quietly. "You didn't deserve it."

Tears prickled her eyes, but she forced them back.

"Arigatou Sasuke-san."

"Don't dwell on it Hinata," the sound of her name still sounded foreign from his lips. Yet in this instance it gave her the right amount of comfort.

With this, a small smile graced her lips. She was pleasantly surprised when she realised he was leading her the long way to the shop.


	8. プライバシーを侵害

**Noroi no Uchiha**

* * *

When someone dies in the grip of a powerful **rage**,

A **curse** is born

The curse gathers in that place of **death**

And those who encounter it will be consumed by its **fury**.

* * *

プライバシーを侵害

Invading Privacy

"Come on Naruto!" Sakura hissed as she jogged up the wooden stairs impatiently.

"But, but Sakura-chan! Sasuke will be really upset if he catches us snooping around in his stuff," Naruto said nervously. He knew full well Sasuke was very territorial, especially over personal items. He'd been on the receiving end of some knuckles and feet after accidentally saying Sasuke's mom was hot.

"Merroooow."

Naruto jumped at the sound and tilted his head up to see a black cat with glowing red eyes glaring down at him. The mewing turned to growls as Sakura reached the top floor, high heels clacking loudly against the wood. Naruto caught whipping tails and glowing eyes as the cats disappeared into the shadows.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded sharply and he rushed to catch up to her, face paling at the chilly, unnerving atmosphere.

"Ne, Sakura-chan it feels like someone's watching us," Naruto murmured glancing around uneasily. He could feel a heated gaze making the fine hairs across his body stand to attention.

"The cats," Sakura huffed and hissed angrilly when the first door she tried was locked.

"Sakura-chan, I don't think-"

Naruto yelped when Sakura forced the door open with a powerful kick. She wasn't a karate black belt for nothing and the splintered wood was evidence of that. She went to turn the light on in the dark room but it merely flickered and died.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto moaned as sweat beaded on his brow. The air was thick and suffocating and he knew, he _knew_ that they weren't supposed to be here. "Let's get out of here."

"Stop complaining," Sakura said as she started rooting through a nearby draw. "Look for something significant."

"But-"

"Just _do_ it!"

Naruto gulped and turned to the wardrobe, he reached for the handle and gripped it with his sweaty hand gulping down his fear. When he went to turn it he flinched and ripped his hand away as though burned.

"Mrreeeoooow."

"S-Sakura-chan, the... the cat..." Naruto murmured as it began to hiss like a thing possessed, spitting at him with every fine fur on end as though run through with an electric shock.

"Ignore it."

"But..."

"But _what_?" Sakura snapped twisting around in annoyance. She paused seeing the room empty. "Naruto?"

Cautiously she stood, mint eyes glancing back and forth hurriedly. Had he gone to check another room? They needed to hurry, Sasuke could be back any moment. She gulped nervously. He needed their support.

"Naruto, where are you?"

She glance down the hall to see all the doors shut fast, still most probably locked. Confused she headed towards the banister, looking over the rail. There was a creak underneath her and she leant over further, searching for the familiar messy blonde locks.

She winced when a drop of water hit her face and brushed it off impatiently. She needed to find Naruto, they needed to find what they came for and they needed to help Sasuke. She placed her hand back on the railing and jumped when her hand slipped, lifting her palm she was horrified to see a familiar red liquid smeared across her fingers and running down her palm in a foreboding line.

"N-N-Naruto?" she stuttered, starting to feel scared at the sudden appearance of blood. She could see no cut, so where could it have possibly have come from? She froze as she reached up to touch her cheek.

_That drop..._

Slowly, heart hammering she looked up.

Sunked red eyes stared back down at her.

She lurched away, a scream tearing from her throat as hands reached up to claw at the monstrous face, to get it away, get it away!

As she threw herself away from those eyes she felt her back hit the railing and her scream increased in terror as she felt her legs flip up above her head as she flew over the rail and away from that horrifying bloodstained face.

* * *

"SAKURA!" Naruto roared at the sound of her screech. He jumped to his feet after bending down to soothe the cat, wondering why she left the room without telling him. He raced towards the door but it slammed shut before he could reach it, the wooden door as strong as steal, the handle a mere decoration that would not move in a way to open the door between them.

Naruto screamed as her screams became shriller, tears blurring his eyes in fear and anguish at not being able to reach her.

"SAKU-"

But his scream was choked when suddenly he felt something tight around his neck, dragging him away from the door.

The screams soon faded away together.

But it was a fair while afterwards that the echoes were finally silenced.

* * *

"Oh?" Hinata murmured in surprise at seeing the room Sakura and Naruto had been left in empty. There was not a sign that they had ever been there, nothing had been disturbed. "Maybe they went home, the door was left open after all..." Hinata said glancing at Sasuke who was scrutinising everything with careful dark eyes.

"Aa," he said after a moment after seeing nothing suspicious. "Naruto? Sakura?" After hearing nothing but silence his shoulders seemed to lose some of their tension. Those idiots came when they were called like willing little lap dogs, Sakura for attention, Naruto for useless chatter. He tensed at a creak on the stairs but relaxed at seeing it was just one of the cats. The cat was content and trotted into the kitchen calmly. No doubt if something had happened the cats would be hiding or freaking out.

"Do you still want some coffee, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked and he nodded, deciding to accept her theory. As stupid as his old self-proclaimed friends were, he doubted they'd be idiotic enough to face his anger by snooping around in this house.

He nodded to Hinata's smile as she handed him the warm mug, the cat weaving around her ankles with a purr. Taking a sip he allowed himself to relax slightly. Perhaps he would be free from old faces turning up to bother him for now. Maybe something had scared those two away, the aura of the house perhaps? Hopefully, they wouldn't come back. However, nothing was out of place... _for now._


End file.
